FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
National Black Marathoners Association Announces
2014 Black Distance Runner Hall of Fame Inductee
New York City, NY - The National Black Marathoners Association (NBMA) has
selected the Annual National Black Distance Runner Hall of Fame honoree.
The recipients will be celebrated at the Run2LIVE's New York City
Pre-Marathon Banquet on Saturday, November 1, 2014 from 6:00PM to 9:00PM.
This is the day before the New York Marathon. This event will be held in
the beautiful American Negro Theater at the Schomburg Center for Research
in Black Culture. It is located at 515 Malcolm X Boulevard, New York, NY
10037-1801. Tickets are $50 until October 15. NOTE: Seating is limited.
Tickets are available at http://www.running2live.org/nyc-pre-marathon-dinner/
The recipient of the NBMA Trailblazing Running Club Award is the New York
Pioneer Club.
NBMA Historian, Gary Corbitt states, "The New York Pioneer Club was started
in 1936 by three African Americans; Joe Yancey, Robert Douglas and William
Culbreath. It was one of the first inter-racial athletic clubs in any
sport, amateur or professional. The club was founded to promote higher
education for Harlem youth and to advance racial understanding.
The club had a philosophy based on the brotherhood of man and never turned
down an athlete because of race, creed or lack of ability. The Pioneer Club
was the first of its scope and kind, and a model by which other clubs in
other cities followed in years to come. The athletes competed in track and
field, road running, and race walking.
New York Road Runner (NYRR) history starts with the New York Pioneer Club
(NYPC) and Mr. Joseph Yancey. There wouldn't have been a NYRR in 1958
without the Pioneer Club. The NYRR first President, Ted Corbitt, was a
member of the Pioneer Club. The NYPC was making civil rights history in
Harlem and the Bronx during an era of racial segregation. The beauty and
genius of Mr. Yancey was coaching an athletic team that was a vehicle for
his primary mission of building men of character.
The New York Pioneer Club (NYPC) won the Boston Marathon team championship
in 1955 and 1957. Also, from 1948 through 1976 at least one New York
Pioneer Club athlete represented the United States at the Olympic Games."
Stephen Jackson, Founder and Executive Director of Run2LIVE adds, "It's
exciting to have the New York Pioneer Club inducted into the NBMA Black
Distance Runner Hall of Fame at our NYC Pre-Marathon Dinner. Without the
NYPC, we wouldn't exist. They laid the foundation for other clubs to
follow. We're looking forward to having runners from around the world to
join us this historic event."
Other NBMA Black Distance Runner Hall of Fame honorees include Ted Corbitt,
Marilyn Bevans, Frederick Davis III, Angela Ivory, Frances Gilbert, Warren
Elzy, and the South Fulton Running Partners.
About National Black Marathoners Association:
The National Black Marathoners Association (NBMA) is the nation's largest,
not-for-profit organization dedicated to encouraging Black Americans and
others to pursue a healthy lifestyle through running and walking. It is
open to everyone, regardless of athletic ability or previous marathon
experience. The NBMA hosts an annual marathon summit each year. Previous
locations and events for the gathering have been Lewis & Clark Marathon
(St. Charles, MO), New Jersey Marathon, Rite-Air Cleveland Marathon, Lost
Dutchman Marathon (Apache, Junction, AZ), Cowtown Marathon (Fort Worth,
TX), ING Georgia Marathon (Atlanta, GA), Bermuda International Race
Weekend, Deadwood-Michelson Marathon (Deadwood, SD), Madison (WI) Marathon,
and Richmond (VA) Marathon. The NBMA's International Summit will be at the
Mt. Kilimanjaro Marathon, Halfathon, and 10K on June 28, 2015. The NBMA's
2015 USA Summit will be at the Dallas Marathon during the December 12
weekend. For more information visit www.blackmarathoners.org.
About Run2LIVE:
Run2LIVE, Inc. is a national running club whose mission is to Inspire,
Support and Encourage Black Men & Women to gain and maintain a healthy
lifestyle through running and walking regardless of athletic ability or
run/walk experience. We are an affiliate member of the Road Runners Club
Of America (RRCA). Through the RRCA, we are a 501(c)3 nonprofit
organization. More information can be found at www.Running2Live.org.
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